LUnix
Encyclopedia
LUnix, short for "Little Unix", is a Unix-like
operating system designed to run natively on the Commodore 64
and Commodore 128
home computer
systems. It supports TCP/IP networking (SLIP
or PPP
using an RS232 interface). Unlike most Unix-like systems, LUnix is written in 6502 assembly language
instead of C
.
The first version of LUnix was released in 1993, the current version 0.21 dates from 2004. Amongst others, it supports preemptive multitasking, unix pipes, a variety of protocols like TCP/IP, SLIP
, PPP
and RS232, dynamic memory management and virtual consoles. It contains a web server
and clients for telnet
, POP3 and FTP and can act as a terminal
or terminal server
over RS232.
LUnix was developed by Daniel Dallmann and contributed by Ilker Ficicilar, Stefan Haubenthal and Paul Gardner-Stephen in late 1990s. The first generation LUnix had support for faster RS232 via clever software tricks, 80 column VIC and VDC screen support, PS2 keyboard support, and small set of standard Unix commands. It is possible with this first distribution to attach two keyboards and two monitors and one RS232 terminal to set up a 3 simultaneous, multitasking sessions on a C128.
was similarly written (commercially by Microware
) as a UNIX-like operating system, implemented in native-code, not C, for the 6809 microprocessor.
Unix-like
A Unix-like operating system is one that behaves in a manner similar to a Unix system, while not necessarily conforming to or being certified to any version of the Single UNIX Specification....
operating system designed to run natively on the Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
and Commodore 128
Commodore 128
The Commodore 128 home/personal computer was the last 8-bit machine commercially released by Commodore Business Machines...
home computer
Home computer
Home computers were a class of microcomputers entering the market in 1977, and becoming increasingly common during the 1980s. They were marketed to consumers as affordable and accessible computers that, for the first time, were intended for the use of a single nontechnical user...
systems. It supports TCP/IP networking (SLIP
Slip
- In science and technology :* Slip , an aqueous suspension of minerals, and frequently deflocculant.* Slip , a positional displacement in a sequence of transmitted symbols...
or PPP
Point-to-Point Protocol
In networking, the Point-to-Point Protocol is a data link protocol commonly used in establishing a direct connection between two networking nodes...
using an RS232 interface). Unlike most Unix-like systems, LUnix is written in 6502 assembly language
Assembly language
An assembly language is a low-level programming language for computers, microprocessors, microcontrollers, and other programmable devices. It implements a symbolic representation of the machine codes and other constants needed to program a given CPU architecture...
instead of C
C (programming language)
C is a general-purpose computer programming language developed between 1969 and 1973 by Dennis Ritchie at the Bell Telephone Laboratories for use with the Unix operating system....
.
The first version of LUnix was released in 1993, the current version 0.21 dates from 2004. Amongst others, it supports preemptive multitasking, unix pipes, a variety of protocols like TCP/IP, SLIP
Slip
- In science and technology :* Slip , an aqueous suspension of minerals, and frequently deflocculant.* Slip , a positional displacement in a sequence of transmitted symbols...
, PPP
Point-to-Point Protocol
In networking, the Point-to-Point Protocol is a data link protocol commonly used in establishing a direct connection between two networking nodes...
and RS232, dynamic memory management and virtual consoles. It contains a web server
Web server
Web server can refer to either the hardware or the software that helps to deliver content that can be accessed through the Internet....
and clients for telnet
TELNET
Telnet is a network protocol used on the Internet or local area networks to provide a bidirectional interactive text-oriented communications facility using a virtual terminal connection...
, POP3 and FTP and can act as a terminal
Computer terminal
A computer terminal is an electronic or electromechanical hardware device that is used for entering data into, and displaying data from, a computer or a computing system...
or terminal server
Terminal server
A terminal server enables organizations to connect devices with an RS-232, RS-422 or RS-485 serial interface to a local area network . Products marketed as terminal servers can be very simple devices that do not offer any security functionality, such as data encryption and user authentication...
over RS232.
LUnix was developed by Daniel Dallmann and contributed by Ilker Ficicilar, Stefan Haubenthal and Paul Gardner-Stephen in late 1990s. The first generation LUnix had support for faster RS232 via clever software tricks, 80 column VIC and VDC screen support, PS2 keyboard support, and small set of standard Unix commands. It is possible with this first distribution to attach two keyboards and two monitors and one RS232 terminal to set up a 3 simultaneous, multitasking sessions on a C128.
See also
OS-9OS-9
OS-9 is a family of real-time, process-based, multitasking, multi-user, Unix-like operating systems, developed in the 1980s, originally by Microware Systems Corporation for the Motorola 6809 microprocessor. It is currently owned by RadiSys Corporation....
was similarly written (commercially by Microware
Microware
Microware is a US corporation that produced the OS-9 real-time operating system.Microware Systems Corporation existed as a separate entity from 1977 until September 2001, when it was bought by RadiSys Corp., and became a division of that company...
) as a UNIX-like operating system, implemented in native-code, not C, for the 6809 microprocessor.